Your Kiss is a Soul Saver
by katiekayx
Summary: Post-Beanstalk fic. Hook comes down the beanstalk with Emma, but they run into some trouble when they get separated from Aurora, Mulan and Snow.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _This is my first semi-smutty piece, so please be kind! This takes place in a what-if universe where Emma doesn't chain Hook up at the top of the beanstalk. He comes down with her, and they run into some trouble. POV alternated between Hook and Emma, so I'm sorry if that's confusing! Please review if you read!_

* * *

"You'll find that we could make it down this stalk quicker if you moved a touch faster, love." Hook called from a few feet below her, and Emma stifled the urge to glare at him. Glaring at him would require looking down, and that was something she was definitely not going to do.

"I'm going as fast as I can," she snapped, "Unless you'd like me to fall and break my neck?"

"I'd rather all of you intact, but I fear I have my own selfish reasons for that," he quipped, and Emma rolled her eyes despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

They were both quiet for the next few minutes, allowing Emma to regain her concentration, and she scowled, knowing that he had somehow worked out that she was not comfortable with what they were doing, and that he was giving her a break to try and clear her head. She really hated how well he could read her.

Once they were close to the ground, Emma let out a relieved breath. Hook was on the ground first, holding out his hand for her to take, and she did so without thinking anything of it. Somewhere along the way, she had begun to trust the pirate, although begrudgingly so.

"I thought you told your companions to wait for us?"

Emma looked around with wide eyes. "I did." She shared a worried glance with Hook, whose jaw was clenched tight.

"They probably just went to set up a campsite for the night." She said, more to herself than to him, and his silence let her know that he didn't buy her lie any more than she did.

"There's nothing for it. We'll have to go look for them. If they were smart, they would have headed west. I believe your parents had a summer palace in that direction."

Emma tilted her head curiously as they began walking. "Did you… did you know my parents? Before?" _Before the curse,_ she didn't have to say.

He shook his head, "No. I knew _of_ them, of course. Everyone knew about Snow White and the Evil Queen."

They lapsed into silence once more, and Emma wondered if she had made a mistake in asking him about his past. He could read her like a book, and while she could certainly tell what he was thinking based on his expressions, when he decided to close himself off, he was very good at it.

* * *

After being alone for nearly three hundred years, one would think that Emma's soft footfalls would be a comfort to Hook, but he was finding them incredibly distracting. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around what had happened – or what had _nearly_ happened – on top of the beanstalk. She had almost left him there. The desperation with which he had practically begged her to un-cuff him had not been fabricated, and it made him nervous to think that she already had such a hold over him.

No, no. She didn't have any kind of hold over him. She intrigued him, yes. He found himself wanting to know more about her, sure, but it was only because he was practically starved for any kind of interaction other than with Cora. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Now, as they trudged through the forest towards what he hoped was her parents' palace, he found himself calculating every detail about her. The way she carried herself – so full of confidence and determination, even though he was quite sure she had no idea where she was going – he admired her, he supposed. That's all it was.

"We've walked by this tree before," Emma said suddenly, whirling around to face him even though he was only a half step behind her. He reached out on instinct to steady himself, and the skin of her arm was hot to his touch. He lingered probably a moment too long, but shook himself out of it before she could notice.

"Are you honestly telling me that you can differ this tree from the hundreds of others?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "We are in a forest, love."

"I remember this one," she insisted, "It has a mark, here," she pointed to a strange 'x' carved into the bark, "and we walked past it five minutes ago."

Hook sighed, "Are you positive?"

"Yes." Emma's voice was firm, sure and steady, and Hook pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "How are we going to find my friends if we can't even walk five minutes without getting turned around?"

"Swan, do try and relax." He took a step closer to her, "We'll find them. It won't do us any good to panic." He didn't know where the urge to sooth her was coming from, but he felt it strongly in his bones.

He was definitely in trouble.

* * *

Part of Emma was being realistic and insisting that she acknowledge that Cora might have stumbled upon Mary-Margaret, Aurora and Mulan after she and Hook were on top of the beanstalk, but the another part of her was trying very hard to stay optimistic, because she wasn't sure she could handle another setback. They had to get back home, they had to, they _had to_ –

"Swan?" Hook's voice, low and concerned, broke into her train of thought and she glanced at him.

"What?"

He took a step closer, "You're worried." He ducked his head to briefly meet her eyes, "I'm sure they're fine, love."

Emma jerked away from him, taking two quick steps backwards, "Why are you doing this?"

"You being worried is only going to distract you - "

"No. Why are you being like…" Emma spluttered, her hands gesturing uselessly in front of her, "… why are you being so _nice_?" She spat the word and it rang out, echoed in the clearing they were in.

After a moment of studying her with a hard, cold look on his face, Hook let out a bitter laugh. "You know, it's a good think you asked, because I _am_ a villain, after all." Emma opened her mouth to retort, but he kept going, taking a step closer to her. "I told you about that bean to help you, Swan. I told you how to get to it, and helped you get to it. For you, Swan."

"You said yourself you were just looking for a way to get to Storybrooke. If it had been Cora you would have done the same thing."

"Ah, there's where you're wrong, darling." He was furious now, she could see it written all over his face, and for a moment, she genuinely feared him. "For someone who can see lies so clearly, you certainly can't see when someone is trying to help you." He took another step closer so they were toe to toe, and Emma forced herself to stand her ground. "I climbed a beanstalk to _help you_. I did so while risking my life. For all I know you were going to leave me behind, or do I need to remind you of that?"

His voice changed and was softer when he spoke next. "Is it really so hard to believe that someone would offer their help? What happened to you to make you so distrusting, Emma?"

The use of her first name shook Emma out of her stupor, and she tried to dispel the guilt she felt by turning her back on him. "Look, I don't want your pity. I just want to find my friends and get the hell out of this forest."

He was quiet, and she was grateful that he seemed to have given up on trying to get under her skin for the moment. She turned to face him and figure out what they were going to do next, but when she turned, he was not alone.

Cora.

* * *

He should have known this was going to happen with the way he and Emma had been yelling at each other a moment ago, but in the moment, none of that had mattered. Why, why did he let her get under his skin so much? Why did it matter to him if she trusted him? She was just a means to an end, a way to get to the Crocodile and finally, _finally _enact his revenge.

However, all of that was shoved to the back of his mind as he felt Cora's magic press him against a tree and knock nearly all of the air out of his lungs. He saw Emma turn around and her eyes widen when she realized what was happening, and he felt an urge to yell at her to run, to get as far away as possible, because he would not, _would not_ watch another woman he… he _liked_ get her heart ripped out.

"Isn't this surprising? The pirate and the princess." Cora said sweetly, and Hook clenched his jaw so tight he was surprised it didn't crack. "I see you've made your choice, Captain." She said quietly, but loud enough for Emma to hear, and he was overcome with the urge to comfort her somehow, to tell her that he'd be fine, that she needed to _get out of here_.

"No need for jealously, dear. I've still got a special place in my heart for you." He said, and suddenly felt all the air escape from his chest as Cora's hand went around his throat and squeezed.

"Stop!" Emma's voice broke through the fog, and he made a mental note to chastise her if they got out of this. She shouldn't stand up for him, she shouldn't put herself in danger to try and stop his death. She shouldn't be here, period. He couldn't understand why she hadn't run for her life yet.

Cora's hand fell from his throat, and he gasped in a breath. She turned and took a step towards Emma, who still had a sword, she still had that _stupid sword_ and she might be able to save both of their lives if he could manage to break Cora's concentration long enough to get out of the range of her restrictive magic.

"Of course, the Savior," Cora sneered, "You hero types are quite the thorn in my side."

"Sorry," Emma said sarcastically, "I'll try to remember that the next time we meet, but for now I think we'll be going." She met Hook's eyes over Cora's shoulder, and Cora cackled dangerously.

"Oh, now this is just too precious. Don't tell me you've _fallen_ for the pirate?" She sighed dramatically. "That is a shame. I suppose you've given me no choice but to kill the both of you."

Emma's eyes were blazing with determination as she glared at Cora, and Hook felt something inside of him swell. _No,_ he thought, _Emma is going to live._ Almost as soon as he thought it, the air around them seemed to crackle with energy, and he was amazed to see Emma's hand glowing as it gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

"Swan…" he said when he caught his breath, but she didn't seem to hear him, didn't seem to hear anything at all.

"You're going to regret it if you keep me from my son, lady." She said to Cora, and before Hook could yell, could do _anything_, Cora's hand struck Emma in the chest, causing a spike of terror to run through him. Cora's arm was buried in Emma's chest, and he distantly heard someone yelling Emma's name, until he realized it was him.

"Oi, witch! Release her and take me instead. She has nothing to offer you."

Cora didn't turn around, but he felt the magic keeping him pinned to the tree strengthen. "Is that so? I fail to see how you could be of more use to me than the lost princess, dear Captain."

"So help me, if you…"

"If I what, Hook? If I hurt her?" As if to demonstrate, she twisted her arm to the left, and Emma winced, gasping as she reluctantly sank to her knees due to the pain. "Somehow I think you won't do a thing."

"Hook," Emma gasped, and his gaze snapped to hers. "Find… find my mother." She struggled to say, and Hook shook his head violently. He refused to listen to this, to listen to her just accepting what was happening. This was not the feisty blonde who held a blade to his throat when they first met, who saw through all of his lies and a lot of his truths. "Find her… tell her I…"

"Stop it, Emma." He demanded, feeling as helpless as he'd ever felt. He didn't understand the feelings coursing through him, but they were overwhelming in their intensity. The urge to protect her, to _save her_ ran through his blood and he struggled against Cora's magic, much to the sorceress' delight.

"Don't waste your breath, princess. I plan to finish them off as soon as I finish with you."

Hook saw the fire strike up in Emma's eyes once more, and it caused the knot in his stomach to loosen. _That's it, fight back, Swan._

* * *

She refused to go out this way. She hadn't come all this way, hadn't gotten so close to finding a way back to Storybrooke just for it to end now, at the hands of Cora. This would not be how she died.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt Cora tug, as if to take her heart, and the pain sliced through her acutely, causing her to let out a small scream. She heard Hook calling for her, and she tried to meet his eyes, tried to muster enough breath to apologize (for what, she didn't know… for not trusting him? For having to watch her die?)

Emma was so lost in her own thoughts that she failed to realize that Cora was tugging, over and over, but having no success in taking her heart. Emma met Cora's eyes, shock and disbelief coloring her face before a grin broke out. _Mom_. Her mother sending her away had been an act of True Love, she realized, and in doing so, she realized what that meant. _My heart can't be taken._

"Sorry lady, I have other plans." Emma said, before a tingling feeling seemingly burst from her body, causing Cora to fly backwards, and sending Hook toppling to the ground as Cora's hold on him broke. Cora struggled to her feet and sent one more scathing look at Emma before disappearing in a whirl of purple smoke, and Emma let out a breathless laugh before collapsing back to the ground, feeling exhausted.

"Swan? Emma!" Hook called to her before getting to his feet and nearly running to her side, grasping her face so he could look at her. "Bloody hell, lass. You really are keen on this whole 'mysterious blonde' thing, aren't you?" He was smiling, but Emma felt the way his hands were shaking, and once again she found herself wondering about his tattoo.

"That's how she died, isn't it?" She asked, and his eyes screwed shut before he opened them, pain written all over his face. "She had her heart taken."

"I couldn't save her," Hook choked out (although Emma was sure she was seeing more of Killian Jones than Hook right now), "and then you…" he took a breath before he was almost shaking her, his voice angry. "That was incredibly stupid, Swan. You shouldn't be so reckless, not with Cora, not with _anyone_ who has magic."

"I don't know if you noticed, but I seem to have magic of my own." Emma rolled her eyes at him, and his hard expression slipped away.

"Like I said, a woman of many secrets, you are."

They were both silent as Emma pushed herself to her feet, Hook grasping her elbow gently as she tried to maintain her balance. "I'm sorry." She said softly, and he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "For… for not trusting you, for not believing you were here to help."

His hand was still on her elbow, the warmth seeping through her jacket and that, coupled with the way he was looking at her, was burning straight through her. "I believe we're even now, Swan. You did save my life, after all." His eyes were searing, and when did he get so close? Emma's breath hitched as he inched even closer, and she tried to find a hundred excuses to get away from him, but she couldn't think, couldn't concentrate on anything but _him_.

"Emma," he whispered before tilting her head upwards and capturing her lips in a kiss that she felt all the way through her body and to her toes. Almost of their own volition, her hands found their way into his hair, and when his own arms wrapped themselves around her waist, she arched into him, causing a deep groan to be ripped from his throat. He tugged her closer, their kiss becoming deeper and more passionate by the second, and she was positive that even if Cora came back, they wouldn't stop.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but after what seemed like hours, she felt her back being pressed against a tree, and a strangled moan left her lips when Hook began to trail kisses down the column of her throat and across her jaw. She whimpered, actually _whimpered_ when he bit down lightly on her collarbone, and he pressed his hips against her in response, causing them both to groan lightly at the friction.

"Gods, Emma. If I had known what this would be like…" he whispered, and Emma let out a breathy chuckle.

"What?"

"I would have kissed you in the giant's lair when I had the chance." He said, his voice rough, and any comeback Emma had flew out of her head when his hand slid under her shirt, her skin nearly on fire with the contact. She arched against him again; enjoying the way gripped her waist and let out a low curse against her skin. "If you keep moving like that, this is going to be over before it even starts."

"What makes you think this is going somewhere, pirate?" She said, and she almost didn't recognize the low, throaty tone to her voice. Was she flirting? She felt as though she was having an out of body experience.

He growled before bringing her mouth back to his, kissing her so thoroughly she could barely remember her own name. A dull throb started in her core, and she wrapped a leg around his hip to try and get some leverage to alleviate the pressure. His hand slid to her thigh and he pulled her leg tighter against him, causing her head to tip backwards as she let out a moan that was so loud she would have been embarrassed if she had been thinking straight. Their hips rocked together and Emma was fairly sure she was going to combust if he didn't take her _right now_.

* * *

He was burning, from the inside out as Emma canted her hips upwards again and again, and he felt like a youth again, nearly coming undone from the feel of her lips against his skin and the press of her body against his. His body was running on pure adrenaline and lust, but there was a part of him that acknowledged that this was certainly more than he had bargained for when it came to Emma.

Ever since he had first laid eyes on her, he knew she was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. That, coupled with her fire and spirit had him all tangled up inside, and he had spent their entire adventure on the beanstalk shoving those feelings to the back of his mind, feeling as though he was betraying his love, his Milah.

Now, with Emma rocking against him and breathing out his name against his skin, he knew he was in way over his head. He wanted her, and the terrifying part was that he wanted more than just to relieve the tension with her. He wanted to go back to her world with her, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her, he wanted all of her, plain and simple. The recognition of his feelings caused another spike of lust to rocket through him, and he urged her to wrap her other leg around his waist, groaning when she was pressed flush against him.

A sadistic part of him wondered what her mother would think if she stumbled upon them now… fully clothed, but _seven hells_ if this wasn't the most aroused he'd been in centuries. He looked up at Emma's face and felt his desire increase tenfold when she met his eyes, her green eyes dark and wide as she rocked against him, biting her bottom lip.

"_Fuck_," he cursed, his eyes screwing shut. "Emma…"

"Don't' stop," she pleaded, "Please, Hook, I…" Whatever she had been about to say was stopped when he pulled her hips against his, hard, and she cried out, her head falling forward to rest on his shoulder as she panted for breath.

He kissed her then, desperately, as he fell apart, letting out a low string of curses as he tensed against her, trying to catch his breath as he slowly lowered her back to the ground, noting with some satisfaction how her knees buckled before he slipped his arm back around her waist to support her.

"That was…" He trailed off, not sure he even had enough words to describe the feelings coursing through his veins.

"Don't sound so smug," Emma said, but he grinned at the breathless quality to her voice.

"And why shouldn't I be? It's not often I make a woman sound like _that_," his voice was practically dripping with sin, "without even taking my clothes off, love."

He was fairly sure she would have kissed him in retaliation if it weren't for a frantic voice causing them to spring apart, tensing for a fight.

"Emma?!"

"Don't you dare say a word about this," Emma hissed at him, and he cast her a wounded look that was only half in jest. "Just… please."

Hook held his hands up in surrender, but took a step closer so he was back in her personal space. "I'll keep this between us, but make no mistake, princess. I'm not done with you yet. Not by a long shot."

Taking a step back, he was rewarded with a dazed look on Emma's face that slipped off quickly as her mother came crashing through the trees. "Emma!" As the two women embraced, Hook caught Emma's eyes and winked, enjoying the blush that rose to her cheeks.

No, they weren't done yet. Not if he had any say in the matter.


	2. In The Dark, In My Arms

**A/N: Okay, here it is, the final part! I want to thank everyone so much for reviewing/favoriting/following this story. This is the most feedback I've gotten to anything I've written and it really means a lot!**

**This part is only rated T (sorry for those of you who wanted more smut) and it's mostly fluff. What can I say, it's my specialty. Since everyone was so kind with their responses, I decided to make this extra long. Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma woke up due to someone shaking her vigorously. She was sore everywhere, due to the many nights she had spent sleeping on the floor of the Enchanted Forest, and mumbled something in her sleep before she heard someone calling her name. "Emma. Emma, wake up." She jolted awake when she heard Hook's voice, low and concerned, coming from very close to her. "Emma, you have to wake up," he said, his words colored with urgency. Her eyes snapped open to meet his blue ones, blazing, as they always were when they looked at her lately.

"What's happening?"

"I'm not sure," he whispered, and she noticed her mother, Aurora and Mulan hurriedly packing their belongings next to her, "it's magic, though, and it's dangerous. We need to get out of here."

Since their "dalliance" in the woods, as Hook referred to it, Emma had expected the awkwardness to return between them, but instead a trust had bloomed that she definitely hadn't seen coming. She acknowledged on the beanstalk that she could easily trust Hook, but she never anticipated actually going through the rest of this journey with him, as much as he had proved himself to her. They hadn't talked about what had happened in the woods. Every now and again, she would feel his eyes on her, burning into her from wherever he was standing, and she knew that he had caught on to her eyes following him around as well. She didn't quite know what to do about that.

"Emma, stop thinking and move!" Came her mother's commanding voice from her left, and Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes as Mary-Margaret transformed from schoolteacher to princess-on-the-run before her eyes. She didn't think she would ever get used to it.

"She's right, love, if it's Cora on her way then we need to go. Up you get." He offered her his hand, and she took it, accepting his help as he hauled her to her feet.

"We have to do it now, Mary Margaret." Emma said firmly, shouting over the sound of the wind that started whipping around them, "We have to open the portal!"

"The bean doesn't work on it's own, Emma, we have to get to Lake Nostos to restore it!"

"I can try… I can try my magic." Emma said, and noticed how Hook stiffened next to her.

"We can't rely on magic, we don't know what it will -"

"We don't have time for this!" Mulan shouted, always the voice of reason. "We need to get out of here. We can head for the lake, but we need to be prepared to open the portal as soon as we get there in case Cora catches up to us." Without another word, the warrior took off into the trees, Aurora hot on her heels. Sharing a glance, Emma and her mother followed, but Hook stayed rooted to his spot. Turning on her heel, Emma let out a frustrated breath.

"Weren't you just telling me that we had to leave? Come on!"

His jaw was clenched, and he didn't meet her eyes when he spoke. "You shouldn't overuse your magic, Emma. I've seen what it can do to a person."

Emma scoffed, "Look, I didn't even know I had magic until a few days ago, but if I can use it to get back to Henry, then I will."

Hook was quiet for a long time, and when he finally looked at her, a haunted look had taken up residence on his face, and something inside of her ached to smooth away the wrinkles now present on his brow. "Magic is dangerous, Swan. Remember that." He strode past her into the forest beyond them, and she struggled to catch up, nearly tripping over every tree root that she came across. She frowned at his retreating form, and made a mental note to find out more about what had happened to make him hate magic so much.

* * *

The lake was dried up. Dried up and there was zero chance of it ever being useful again. Emma felt so helpless, and she didn't know how they were going to get back to Storybrooke now, after they had travelled so far.

"What are we going to do?" Aurora echoed her thoughts, and Emma could tell that Mary-Margaret was trying her best to stay optimistic.

"Emma. You can do this. I know you can." She handed the bean to her daughter, and Emma felt like crying. She didn't think she could do it. She didn't know much about magic, but she knew that feeling hopeless was not going to help her in trying to open a portal. She needed positive emotion, and at the moment she was fresh out of happiness and optimism. "Think about Henry. Think about the town, Emma." Mary-Margaret encouraged, and Emma closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

Emma closed her eyes and willed her thoughts to settle. She thought about Henry, about his never-ending optimism, about the town with all the things she had begun to associate with home, and she thought about all the people that were relying on her to come back. She thought about David. _Dad_. She thought about breakfast at Granny's, and hot chocolate with cinnamon, and thought about getting everyone home safe. _Everyone. Aurora, Mulan, Mary-Margaret, Killian_… Suddenly, a pulse spread through her. She felt the magic flowing through her, and when she opened her eyes, she was face-to-face with a portal.

* * *

Killian Jones had only seen a portal a handful of times in his life, and it never ceased to amaze him. It was equal parts awe inspiring and terrifying, and the fact that Swan had opened it on her own, with _her_ magic… He was still trying to come to terms with how he felt about that.

He overreacted earlier when she mentioned her magic, and he knew that. He had good reason, after all. All of his problems, all of his self-loathing… it all stemmed from the fact that his love had been stolen from him. Not only that, but she had been taken by magic, dark magic, and he had been powerless to save her. Magic always came with a price, and he knew that better than anyone. Perhaps that was why he had reacted so negatively at the knowledge that newly-found magic was running through Emma Swan's veins. The part of him that was not trying to escape the fact that he was growing to care for her hated that she had magic, because he was afraid of what she was capable of. Afraid of what her magic could turn her into. While he knew she had more control than that, he wished he had known that she had magic before he had gotten so tangled up in her and her life.

"Emma, you did it!" Mulan exclaimed, and Hook had to bite back a grin at the shocked look on Emma's face. The wind started to whip around them due to the force from the portal, and he remembered that they were still working on a schedule of sorts – for all they knew, Cora was still pursuing them, and they needed to get through this portal and close it before she had a chance to get through.

He knew she wouldn't spare his life or Emma's again, not after she had been severely bested by the blonde once. "It's all very exciting, but I think we need to get moving," he said, raising his voice to be heard over the swirling sound of magic.

"He's right," Emma said, her voice shaky, "We need to…" she took a breath, "we need to go."

"Swan?" He shouldn't be concerned. She was a strong woman; he had seen that first hand. However, what little knowledge of magic he had told him that using this much of it in one day couldn't possibly be healthy.

She waved him off, "I'm fine, but we need to move. We need to get back, to get back to Henry, to…" She stumbled, and Hook moved before he was even aware of making the decision to catch her before she nearly fell face-first into the portal.

"Emma!" Her mother ran to her side, trying to pry her from Hook's arms, but he kept his hold.

"I think it's best we get moving, milady. I can take her through."

The dark-haired woman eyed him, ignoring Emma's protests that she was fine, that she could handle it. "If you think I'm going to let you take my _daughter_…"

"You seem to have forgotten that we're going to the same place," Hook said through grit teeth, tired of having to convince everyone of where his loyalties were. Emma knew where he stood, that much he was sure of. If his actions in the clearing with Cora hadn't spoken for themselves, what had occurred between the two of them afterwards certainly had. And _that_ was an event that he hadn't allowed himself to dwell on, otherwise he was sure he wouldn't have been able to think of anything else.

"I can stand, I can go through on my own," Emma said weakly, struggling to remain on her feet.

"I beg to differ, love." Hook said, his arm looped around her waist loosely.

"We don't have time for this," Mulan gently reminded them, her eyes wide as the ground shook. "It's Cora." She confirmed Hook's suspicions, and Emma turned to face him.

"Just… just hold on to my arm or something. And if you let go, so help me, I will track you down and cut off your other hand."

"You can't be serious! Let me help you, Emma." Mary Margaret was saying, and Hook resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"He's stronger, Mary Margaret. It's nothing personal, and he won't let go." Emma made eye contact with him, and he nodded.

"You bring her back in one piece, do you hear me?" Mary Margaret said fiercely, jabbing a finger in Hook's chest.

"We have to go, now!" Mulan said, and the thundering noise coming from the trees got louder. "We have to hold on to each other. Snow, you and Emma are the only ones who have a clear picture of where we're going."

Hook hoisted Emma into his arms, despite her protests and her wriggling about. "Keep still. We'll go separate." He said to her, and turned to face her mother. "Emma knows where we're going. I can't carry her and hold on to you at the same time."

"But—"

"You have my word that we'll make it back. I may be a pirate, but I am also a man of honor. Your daughter will be returned to you."

"Mom, go!" Emma said fiercely, and the use of the familial name seemed to have the desired effect as Snow turned to their companions.

"Hold on to me," she instructed to Aurora and Mulan. "Emma," she glanced back at her daughter, and her features softened. "I love you."

Emma smiled, but it didn't escape Hook's notice that she didn't say the words back.

"Let's get home," she said instead, and once again tried to stand.

"Will you quit moving? Swan, you're in no condition to do this on your own. For once, just _trust me_."

She stared at him for a long moment before nodding, and Hook felt a sense of relief sweep over him when she agreed to trust him, no matter how temporary it was. "Thank you," he said softly. "Now, think of your boy. Think of your town. And do us both a favor and hurry your thinking, will you? I imagine Cora won't leave us much time for imagination." He smirked, trying to make light of the situation.

"Just shut up and jump already before I change my mind," Emma grumbled, and he chuckled.

"As you wish."

Apparently they had less time than Hook originally thought, because just as he was preparing to jump into the portal with Emma, Cora burst through the tree line, her hands glowing with magic. Her face was the picture of rage, and for the first time in their short acquaintance, Hook found himself genuinely fearing the sorceress.

"You were so close, Captain. It's a shame you're too cocky for your own good," she crooned as she came closer.

"Hook..." Emma mumbled in his arms and he tightened his grip.

"Stay quiet, love." He muttered, never taking his eyes off of Cora as she slowly drew closer to the portal.

"It was so kind of you to open this portal for me, Emma. It's a shame that while I get to see my daughter, you won't be seeing your son again."

Hook looked towards the sky, asking all the deities he knew of why he was about to do this, and he reluctantly set Emma down on her feet, and after making sure she could stand, he unsheathed his sword, aiming it at Cora. "Sorry, darling, but I can't allow you to get through that portal."

Cora's glare was fierce as her eyes met Hook's. "Oh? And I suppose you're going to stop me with a sword, are you?"

"Well we can't all cheat and use magic, can we." Hook said sarcastically, and as soon as Cora opened her mouth to reply, he lunged at the witch, managing to cut her side, although the wound was not deep, it was enough to distract her.

"You'll pay for that, pirate." She practically growled at him, and before he could react, she shot a bolt of magic from her hands. He ducked out of instinct, but realized his mistake the minute he heard a feminine cry from behind him. Whipping his head around, his eyes widened when he saw Emma on the edge of the portal, trying to keep her balance as she dodged Cora's magic.

He knew what was going to happen before it happened, and his heart clenched with fear as he met her eyes, her green ones wide and terrified just before she toppled over the edge and into the swirling vortex of magic. "Emma!" The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it and with a glance back at Cora, he spit out a curse and leapt into the portal after Emma. He knew she wasn't strong enough to get herself back to Storybrooke on her own. He concentrated as hard as he could on the blonde saviour as he fell, and hoped against all hope that they ended up in the same place.

* * *

When Emma came to, her head was throbbing. She dimly registered that she was lying down, but she couldn't figure out where she was or why she was there. The last thing she remembered, she had been with Hook and - _Hook_.

She bolted upright, immediately regretting it when her head swam to the point where she was sure she was seeing stars. When she was finally able to open her eyes, it was dark, and she was alone. She should have known this would happen. This is what Cora wanted, right? She was alone, without a clue where she was and without any way to get back to Henry and her family. She wondered what happened to Hook after she fell through the portal, and tried to ignore the terror that sliced through her when she briefly imagined what Cora might have done to him.

Struggling to her feet, Emma tilted her neck to the left and then to the right, trying to work out the knots in her muscles. When she stopped moving, she could have sworn she heard footsteps. Instantly, she was on guard. She was in the middle of nowhere with no way out as far as she knew, and now she was hearing things. Great. As she froze in place, she heard footsteps again, this time coming much faster as if someone was running. Faintly, she heard a voice, and it sounded like someone was yelling her name.

"Emma! Swan?" More footsteps. "Emma!"

It was Hook. The relief she felt was overwhelming and Emma sank to her knees, noticing for the first time how much she was shaking. She wasn't stuck here. Wherever she was, she wasn't alone. He had come after her.

"Emma!" She could hear the panic in his voice and she took a deep breath before yelling back.

"Hook? I'm here!" Instantly she heard the sounds of him running getting closer and closer until suddenly he was there, staring at her like he couldn't believe she was real.

"Swan," he breathed and before Emma could think about what she was doing, she launched herself at him, relieved when his arms immediately went around her to steady her.

"I thought you... I didn't know where I was, and I didn't know if you were..." Emma rambled, her voice shaky, and Hook hushed her.

"I jumped after you, but I didn't know if we'd end up in the same place…" He trailed off, both of them thinking of what could have happened if they had been separated. "Do you have any idea where we are?" He asked, and Emma realized that they were still standing in each other's arms. She moved away from him quickly, and shook her head.

"I can't tell. It's too dark and my head still hurts… I don't know." She said, never one to admit defeat, and Hook looked at her with barely concealed concern.

"We should wait here until the sun comes out or else we're like to get even more lost." Without waiting for her consent, he took a few steps past her and shrugged off his coat, laying it down on the ground. "You should rest. I'll look for firewood."

"I'll go with you…" Emma started, but Hook was already off and walking. With a frustrated sigh, Emma hurried to catch up with him. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"Swan, go and rest."

Emma ignored him, falling into step with him. She noticed that his jaw was tight, and she instantly thought back to their disagreement when she had wanted to use magic to open the portal. "Why were you so against me using magic at the lake?" She blurted before she could think better of it.

His eyes snapped to hers, and she was surprised at the intensity in his gaze. "It was nothing. You got it to work, and that's all that matters."

"Bullshit," Emma said loudly, pulling them both to a stop. "Something is bothering you, and I want to know what it is."

"You bloody stubborn woman…" Hook closed his eyes in frustration. "I told you to be careful with your magic and you were barely conscious when we went through that portal as a result. Do you have any idea what it was like watching you fall through?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose, in case you hadn't noticed, Cora was sort of trying to kill the both of us."

"I'm not angry _at _you. I'm…" He ran a hand over his face, and when he met her eyes again, that look was present again, the one that said he could read her like an open book. "I'm having a difficult time sorting out what I feel for you, Swan," and Emma felt like her heart stopped at his words, "and it's making me feel very out of sorts." His words were blunt and honest, but instead of making Emma scared, they made her heart swell. "You have magic. Amateur magic, yes, but magic nonetheless. I have seen magic ruin people. It ruined Cora and her daughter, and it turned Rumplestiltskin into a monster. Magic took my love, my Milah from me."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"I just want you to be careful." His voice was soft, and it was only then that Emma realized how close they were standing. "I'll not let another young boy lose his mother on my account."

They stared at each other for a long moment, Hook's bright blue eyes full of emotion and intensity while Emma's green ones scrutinized him. Emma had a sudden flashback to the moment in the clearing just before they had kissed, and realized with a start that the look in his eyes was the same.

Surprising both of them, Hook pulled away. "We should get some firewood before we find a spot to rest for the night."

Looking over Hook's shoulder, Emma's eyes widened. "Wait. I know where we are."

* * *

"Well I'll be damned," Hook whispered, turning in the direction Emma was looking. The sign in front of them read _Storybrooke_ and a grin broke out on Hook's face as he turned back to face Emma.

"We made it back," Emma whispered, and suddenly she was _beaming_ and he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. He had seen her smile, briefly, and always directed at her mother. She had smiled sarcastically at him, but never like this, never ever like this. It was as if something clicked into place inside of him, and with the full knowledge that she very well might kick his ass for it later, he took a step closer to her and cupped her face with his good hand, still grinning like an idiot.

"I believe I told you before that we make quite a good team, did I not?" He meant the phrase to come out triumphantly, but instead his voice had a husky quality to it that he was beginning to realize only came out when he was talking to Emma.

"This… this conversation," Emma gestured back and forth between herself and Hook, "this isn't over yet, but first I want to get back to my son."

"Whatever you say, milady." Hook said and on a whim, he held out his hand for the blonde princess, testing the waters. He saw it in her eyes the minute she decided to trust him, and when she slid her hand into his, a feeling of _home_ settled over him stronger than had had felt in centuries.

They went back to the woods for his coat, and slowly, Emma began to lead Hook into the town. They walked in silence, and Emma never let go of his hand, something that he knew meant more than she was willing to acknowledge. He knew he still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to gain her trust, but he also knew that the first way to do it would be to get her to her son.

Abruptly, Emma stopped in the middle of the road, causing Hook to stumble into her. "How do we know Cora didn't follow us through the portal?" She sounded panicky, and when she dropped Hook's hand and whirled around to face him, he was overwhelmed with the urge to sooth all of her worries. "How do we know that she didn't jump through and get here before us?"

"Emma," he said quietly, "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"Swan, listen to me." He stepped closer to her, "I can't promise you that she didn't come through after I jumped after you, but I can promise you this: if she is here, I will not let any harm come to you, or your boy. Do you understand me?"

She was quiet. "Why would you do that for me?"

He laughed, although it was a forced sound. "Please don't ask me to analyze my feelings right now, because I don't understand it myself. Just trust me."

This time, it was Emma who initiated the kiss. Where their first one started off tender and slow, this one was fiery from the very beginning. He didn't hesitate in pulling her to him, _hauling_ her to him, really. Her gasp allowed him entry to her mouth, and as their tongues tangled together, he let out a low groan and tugged her even tighter to him. "Emma, Emma…" he whispered, pulling away from her reluctantly. "You need to get back to Henry."

"I can't believe you're actually saying that," She said, her eyes still lidded and a dazed expression on her face.

He chuckled, though it was a dark, sinful sound. "Don't make me say it twice, because I will have you here in the dark, princess." His eyes turned serious as he traced a path down her exposed collarbones with his index finger. "I promised your mother I would bring you home, and I promised I would get you to your son. I pride myself on being a man of honor, love. Don't make me break my promises, no matter how tempting it may be. You'd resent me for it in the long run."

"I thought pirates were supposed to pillage and plunder and take what they wanted," Emma said, her voice a dark, seductive thing that lured him in.

"Swan…" he growled, before leaning in and capturing her lips once more. This kiss had all the passion of their first two, but an underlying emotion that Hook didn't care to identify crept in, and then Emma's arms were twined around his neck, and she was pressed against him so deliciously that he almost forgot that he was trying to be gentlemanly. He trailed a series of kisses down the column of her slender throat before pulling away, resting his forehead against hers. "Let's get you home, darling."

* * *

Emma didn't know what had come over her on their way back to town, but almost as certain as she was when she made the decision to kiss him again, she was certain that they would not have stopped at a simple kiss. The same fire that overtook all of her senses the first time they kissed in the Enchanted Forest had been present the second time, and she realized that despite herself, she was beginning to care for the innuendo-dropping pirate.

The walls around her heart were so strong that she seriously doubted even Hook could attempt to scale them, but she felt pieces of them crumbling bit by bit every time he said something that resonated with her, every time he looked at her and understood her without either one of them having to say a word. The walk back to town had been uneventful, and he stayed by her side the entire time, even throughout the reunion with her parents and Henry.

She saw his gaze flicker around the town every few minutes, and she knew that he was looking for Gold. She wasn't naïve; she didn't think that a few kisses would make him want to give up his revenge, but a part of her had hoped that what they had been through over the last few days would have been enough to keep his attention, now that she knew she welcomed it.

Even with him keeping an eye out for Gold, she noticed (and she was sure her parents noticed as well) that Hook never strayed more than a few inches from her side. As they moved around Granny's, where everyone had gone to get some much-needed food, her hand would brush Hook's constantly, and she felt like a schoolgirl when she blushed every single time. A few times, she caught his eye and he would wink at her, and she could practically hear her father's blood boiling. After a few hours, the fatigue started to settle in, and after a lot of convincing, Henry decided to go home with David and Mary-Margaret to David's house so that Emma could get some sleep. Though it pained her to spend another night without the son that she had fought so hard to get back to, she didn't argue, and before she knew it, she was trudging towards her apartment, barely conscious of the fact that Hook was walking in step with her like he was meant to be there.

"You can sleep on the couch," she said tiredly, and he looked at her in surprise, his left eyebrow raised.

"My intention was just to walk you home, love. I can find other lodgings."

"Don't be stupid." Emma said, and that seemingly ended the conversation, as he smirked and continued to walk with her in silence until they found themselves at the doorway to her apartment.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go?" He asked again, and Emma almost rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't do this often, okay?" At his confused look, she clarified, "Let people in. Trust people. I don't do it because it's easier in the long run, but I'm trying to do the right thing. You helped me get home, and…" she trailed off, their gazes locking, "Just let me do this one thing and give you a place to stay, okay?" She finished softly, and after a minute, he nodded.

When Emma woke up in the middle of the night, she stifled a smile as she felt arms tighten around her waist. So he hadn't slept on the couch, but could you blame her for wanting some physical comfort? It had been a harrowing few days for the both of them, and while she wasn't sure what it was exactly that she felt for Hook, she knew that it wasn't fleeting. It wasn't going to just go away, and she wasn't sure that she wanted it to. He was the first one in a long time to understand her the way she always wished someone would, and she was hesitant to throw a connection like that out the window.

"You should be sleeping," his deep voice murmured in her ear, and she rolled over slowly, feeling his lips ghost over her temple.

"I could say the same about you," she countered.

"I'm not the one who blacked out after over-exerting myself, love."

"Shh, you're ruining the moment," Emma teased and was rewarded when a sleepy grin stretched across his face.

"Are you going to punish me, darling?"

"Shut up and go to sleep," Emma said, and Hook laughed, pulling her closer.

"As you wish."

* * *

**The end! I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did when I wrote it! Please let me know what you think, and if you haven't already, check out my other CS stories on this site, and follow me on Tumblr - .com :)**


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